وثيقة

النص الإنجليزي

لرسالة الرئيس صدام حسين إلى الرئيس جورباتشوف

رداً على رسالته التي بعث بها في

18 يناير 1991

Letter from President Saddam Hussein to Soviet President

Mikhail Gorbachev in reply to his letter of

18 January 1991

     In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate. Mr. President Gorbachev, peace be upon you.

          Having read your letter and reviewed the situation and the background of relations between our two countries and two peoples, I had a feeling that I should be angry with you, or at least blame you for the method with which you tackled the issues that you described as serious and dramatic, and the means you proposed for protecting Iraq from destruction.

          After remembering that the international community today is living under, or rather falling in one way or another under the mercy of the US law of hegemony and domination, with a few exceptions here and there, my anger abated and I desisted from leveling any blame here in my letter.

     We, Mr. President, would like to state a fact that cannot be overemphasized; namely, that we are as free as our mothers gave birth to us and as God created us from the earth. Because we are free men and we insist on retaining our freedom, we reject the US law of hegemony and domination. We are not the ones who have committed aggression against the United States and waged war against it. So we should not be asked to make statements that would make the United States appear to be twisting our steadfast will and that would tempt it to continue its blackmail and arrogance in our region and the world, based on the notion that everyone must submit to its law of hegemony over the world.

     From the very beginning, we have been drawing the attention of people who care for freedom and sovereignty and those who care about implementing the law of the only living God in relations among peoples. We have always emphasized the importance of dialogue among nations because it is important among people. Then and only then, and when the method of equitable dialogue is used, the human mind would be able to find a solution to all the region's problems, which are linked together like cause and effect. This is especially so if the dialogue is given a healthy atmosphere and mankind is provided with reassurance.

     You might remember, Mr. President, that as we recall the requirements of our responsibility, which we do not forget - as Bush and the failures who encouraged him to commit his aggression and to hold man and mankind in contempt have forgotten - we say that because of our human responsibility toward security and stability in the world, we submitted our initiative on 12 August 1990. which your government said was positive in the beginning. You did not pursue your efforts to put it within the framework of serious discussion. You remember how Bush rejected it only two hours after we broadcast it on the air without even bothering to ask for an official copy of the initiative. He might not have even read it as disseminated by world news agencies.

     You also remember, Mr. President, how the United States and its media urged the destruction of our military and scientific power even before 2 August, and how it had been denying our people bread as of March 1990 by a decision of the US Congress and Administration. You remember how Bush instigated his treasonous rulers, such as Jabir al-Ahmad, the former Shaikh of Kuwait, to plot against Iraq.

     This is part of what we wanted to remind you of in this letter. It is only part of what should be recalled about the treacherous plot and the unjust aggression. We say this so you can remember that the US President is conspiratorial and treacherous, that he has a grudge against the Arabs, and that he is working to stifle any noble voice that may demand the liberation of Palestine and an end to the suffering of the Arab people of Palestine.

     Bush has committed aggression and must pay the price of his aggression if he continues to indulge in it. The punishment of God, the One and Only God the Almighty, the Powerful, and the Great, will be his punishment.

     Therefore, your letter should have been addressed to the tyrant Bush and not to Saddam Hussein and his aggrieved people.

     God is Great, God is Great, God is Great. Accursed be Bush and his henchmen.

[Dated] 20. January 1991.

(FBIS - NES, 22 January 1991)